Press release – 12th August 2021

Following a well-received overheating risk tool and guidance for new build homes, the Good Homes Alliance is delighted to announce a project that will see a new version developed for retrofit schemes.

This responds to demand from designers, housing associations, environmental health officers, and other parties concerned with overheating risk in the existing housing stock. The aim is to produce simple practical guidance to help identify and mitigate the risk of overheating in energy retrofits, informing design options and mitigation measures.

The work will be delivered by Susie Diamond, Inkling and Julie Godefroy, Julie Godefroy Sustainability, who also authored the new build version.

The project is co-funded by the BEIS funded REFINE project on radical decarbonisation of social housing through whole house energy retrofits, and by the National Energy Foundation. The REFINE project is one of the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund Demonstrators led by Warwick District Council and Oxford Brookes University with Enhabit and Sarah Wigglesworth Architects.

 

“We are delighted to again be working with Susie Diamond and Julie Godefroy on this important project. It was clear from the interest in our new build tool that overheating risk was a key issue across industry. We’d like to thank Enhabit and National Energy Foundation for funding the project, which will allow the project team to develop simple and practical guidance to help identify and mitigate overheating risks in our existing housing stock.”

Julian Brooks, Programmes Director, Good Homes Alliance

 

“We are really grateful and excited to continue our work with the Good Homes Alliance on this topic. It was our hope from the start to extend our guidance beyond new build homes, and we have seen huge demand for this. We couldn’t be happier to support the decarbonisation of existing homes while protecting the comfort of residents.”

Susie Diamond, Inkling and Julie Godefroy, Julie Godefroy Sustainability

 

“The National Energy Foundation were adamant that this research leading to a creation of a new tool to help mitigate the risks of overheating in existing homes should receive our support. In promoting high quality whole house retrofit through our SuperHomes Rating Scheme, it is essential that unintended consequences, which could otherwise lead to an increased risk of overheating and discomfort as a result of the retrofit process, are avoided”.

Paul Ciniglio, Refurbishment Lead, National Energy Foundation

 

“We have shown through years of research that overheating in existing and retrofitted homes is a risk to resident well-being. We are delighted to support the development of a tool to tackle overheating risks in retrofitted homes as part of our REFINE research project. The tool could potentially have a major impact on the quality of life of residents, who will enter an era of advanced energy efficient homes.”

Professor Rajat Gupta, Academic lead, REFINE project, Oxford Brookes University

 

For more information about the Good Homes Alliance, please contact Julian Brooks, Programmes Director – julian@goodhomes.org.uk, 0330 355 6274.

For more information about the Overheating in Retrofit Homes project, please contact Julie Godefroy – julie@juliegodefroysustainability.co.uk or Susie Diamond – susie@inklingllp.com.

Vital new tool and guidance to tackle overheating risks in retrofit projects to be developed

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